Veggie korma

An Indian dish for the vegetarians

I never would have thought to make this dish on my own - I have Adam to thank for bringing it into my life. I asked him for an idea for a veggie side dish for chicken tikka masala or curried coconut chicken, and he suggested veggie korma. While it's great as a side, this concoction can easily stand on its own as a main dish, too. 

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VEGGIE KORMA

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 

1 and 1/2 TBS vegetable or olive oil

1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, diced

1 tsp minced ginger (fresh or jarred)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 potatoes, cubed (the Yukon Gold variety)

4 carrots, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

3 TBS unsalted cashews (optional - I didn't have any on hand)

1 4-oz. can tomato sauce

2 tsp salt

1 and 1/2 TBS curry powder

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (see "Cream note," below)

cilantro, for garnish

WHAT YOU'LL DO: 

1. Heat oil in skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until tender and fragrant. Mix in minced ginger and garlic and cook one minute more. Add chopped potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and curry powder. Cook and stir until potatoes are tender. 

*Note: I found it took about 20 minutes to cook the potatoes all the way through. The original recipe says to cook for only 10 minutes. Next time, I might try microwaving the potatoes for a few minutes to start the tenderizing process before cubing them.

2. Stir in peas, chopped red & green peppers, and cream or coconut milk. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 to 20 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.  

*Cream note: In the original recipe, one comment said to try using coconut milk instead of heavy cream. I've tried it both ways and it's great! When using coconut milk, I buy canned coconut milk and use all of the heavy, creamy part of the  milk that rests on top. Then top off with some remaining coconut water to equal 1 cup. 

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If you don't have all of the veggies, don't sweat it. I forgot to buy peas the last time I made this dish and it still turned out totally tasty. I've also forgotten the cashews and chopped up a handful of baby carrots instead of big carrots. The point is, work with that you have - it'll all come together deliciously in the end.